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WebSphere: Errors installing Plug-in fix pack on IHS V7.x

This was a new one, not even the IBMers that I consulted with had run into this before.

I have been working at a client site on a large IBM Connections project since last year – V3.0.0, upgrade to 3.0.1, upgrade to 3.0.1.1 … now multiple code drops for V4 beta installs and preparation to get gold code V4 up as soon as possible (once it is released). In the course of the last year I have probably installed and upgraded more WAS and IHS servers that I have in several years previously – loving every moment of it!

Problem:

Today I had a new V 7.0 IHS on AIX to set up and we were running into issues installing the Plug-in fix for 7.0.0.21. The IHS FPO went without a problem, but the plug-in did not work. Errors, errors, errors:

java.lang.NullPointerException at com.ibm.ws.install.ni.framework.simplugins.SimVerifyFilePermissionsPlugin$ValidateFilePermissions.checkFilePermissions(SimVerifyFilePermissionsPlugin.java:245) at com.ibm.ws.install.ni.framework.simplugins.SimVerifyFilePermissionsPlugin$ValidateFilePermissions.checkFilePermissions(SimVerifyFilePermissionsPlugin.java:317) at com.ibm.ws.install.ni.framework.simplugins.SimVerifyFilePermissionsPlugin$ValidateFilePermissions.run(SimVerifyFilePermissionsPlugin.java:139)java.lang.NullPointerException at com.ibm.ws.install.ni.framework.simplugins.SimVerifyFilePermissionsPlugin$ValidateFilePermissions.checkFilePermissions(SimVerifyFilePermissionsPlugin.java:245) at com.ibm.ws.install.ni.framework.simplugins.SimVerifyFilePermissionsPlugin$ValidateFilePermissions.checkFilePermissions(SimVerifyFilePermissionsPlugin.java:317) at com.ibm.ws.install.ni.framework.simplugins.SimVerifyFilePermissionsPlugin$ValidateFilePermissions.run(SimVerifyFilePermissionsPlugin.java:139)

Nothing was working … I looked at fie permissions, ownership etc. – no change. root, or no root – it failed. I did some searching and after a while came across this tech note: swg21408430.

the errors were close enough – I was using the latest version of the IBM UpdateInstaller (at this time 7.0.0.23) but I decided to wipe out the UDI, install it once more new into a DIFFERENT folder (queue the drum roll) …. that made the difference.

So, sometimes it is not the tool being installed, but rather the tool doing the install that is at fault. AND – UNIX file permissions are not always at fault either. Poor little Unix – there’s good boy!!